Archive for » May, 2016 «

“We were having lunch in the neighborhood at the Joint, and we were going to visit our friends down in Arabi,” Rayner says. “We were driving down Poland and ta-da! There’s a big ‘for sale’ sign outside this inn. We needed a house. I desperately needed a new job.”

The Lookout Inn, a successful Bywater guesthouse, was looking for new owners, and the couple decided they would be the ones for the job—especially since the owner’s side of the house was larger than your typical b-and-b’s.

The inn has a fun retro flair: The logo has a 50s diner look, and there’s an Elvis-themed suite. While the couple’s side of the house has a healthy dose of kitsch (that’s due to Rayner’s influence), it’s tempered by a clean, modern sensibility (thanks to Heck’s architecture background) for a look that can be described as “inviting modern.”

While the inn was in good condition when the couple bought it, the owner’s half needed a facelift. The house had low ceilings, the kitchen had peeling linoleum floors and was inadequate for a couple that likes to cook, and there was an upstairs portion that was left incomplete. The couple—along with many friends and family members—got to work adding necessary upgrades and uncovering the home’s good bones.

“I love tchotchkes. Kudos to the tiny house people, but I like a lot of stuff.”

They decided to keep the original layout of the house, but took out the living room’s dropped ceilings to uncover the original 12-foot ceilings. The kitchen was completely gutted, and reborn with Carrara countertops, IKEA cabinets, and all-new appliances, but the couple decided to keep and repurpose the original Vent-a-Hood. Originally beige, Rayner took the hood to an auto body shop in Chalmette, where it was sandblasted and painted with auto-grade mint green paint, which makes it heat resistant but with a high-gloss factor.

Heck, an architect with Williams Architects, says the decision to repurpose the hood speaks to the couple’s ability to mix their differing styles.

“We don’t let any particular aspect take over,” Heck says. “Our kitchen is the most straight modern room, but a lot of people would have gotten rid of that hood because it didn’t fit with the IKEA cabinets we chose. That piece was a history of the house that had to stay. We try to find ways to blend.”

Nowhere in the house epitomizes the couple’s fused style more than the sitting room off the kitchen, which is filled with funky objects but has some mod furniture.

“You have a lot of modern things in that room, but I had to have the cowhide rug and the tchotchkes,” Rayner says. “I love tchotchkes. Kudos to the tiny house people, but I like a lot of stuff.”

Speaking of stuff, the couple’s furniture and accessories reflect a mix of youthful big-box brands like IKEA, West Elm and Crate and Barrel; pieces from local stores Modern Market and Greg’s Antiques; finds from Etsy and ones picked up while traveling; and some repurposed items.

That sitting room is painted a pale mint, and the other rooms feature bold color choices.

“Obviously our house has color everywhere,” Heck says. “I grew up in Chalmette in the suburbs and—I love my parents—but they had beige white walls.”

Another bold paint choice in the home is an accent wall in the living room, which is a stenciled gray and lavender pattern. The stenciled paint came out of a disagreement—Rayner wanted to incorporate wallpaper somewhere, Heck has removed enough wallpaper in his life and didn’t want to touch the stuff—and Heck’s sister offered the compromise of a stencil.

“Obviously our house has color everywhere. I grew up in Chalmette in the suburbs and—I love my parents—but they had beige white walls.”

Perhaps one of the biggest upgrades to the home, besides the kitchen and restoring the high ceiling, was building out the space upstairs, which the previous owners started and never finished. The incomplete design included recessed storage, making it so that the room doesn’t need bedside tables, a headboard, and dresser.

“The old owners, I have to give them their due, they framed everything out upstairs. He was a carpenter, and he framed out something so excellent,” Rayner says. “I love that there’s no furniture up there. The night stands are recessed, you don’t need a headboard.”

The framing also included space for a desk, which the couple turned into a dresser with his-and-her closets, plus an additional walk-in closet for taller items.

They also made huge changes to the bathroom, turning it into a spa-like retreat with a big tub, rustic recessed storage with lighting, and black-and-white subway tile on the floor and backsplash. Rayner is giddy just thinking about it: “I love that bathroom. It excites me every time,” she says.

Before the upstairs was complete the couple would sleep downstairs in what is now the guest room. With the master bed and bathroom the only rooms upstairs, that part of the house feels like a cozy retreat from the bustle of the neighborhood and the action from the adjoining inn.

“Our bedroom was that front room, so we heard everything that happened in the neighborhood—,” Heck says.

“… the garbage man, drunk girls coming back, everything. It’s nice to have a little more distance from the street,” Rayner adds.

The couple loves to cook and host gatherings, and when the inn isn’t full they host pool parties. Even though the inn has guests coming and going, the couple is building a home that is stylish but warm, inviting people to linger.

“I want people to stay awhile when they come,” Rayner says.

The living room features a stenciled paint design, which the couple chose as an accent alternative to wallpaper.

The house is filled with many tchotchkes.

The paper mache taxidermy was a wedding gift.

This coffee table used glass Heck salvaged from a school his architecture firm was working on.

The Union Jack rug recalls Rayner’s British background (she was born in England).

The couple’s French bulldog, Percival, rules the roost.

The kitchen was completed gutted and got a modern makeover.

The kitchen sink, as well as the cabinets, is from Ikea.

The hood was salvaged from the original kitchen and painted mint at an auto body shop.

The sitting room represents the fusion of the couple’s styles.

Upstairs, the master bedroom features all recessed storage.

The master bathroom is one of the couple’s favorite rooms.

Rayner required a big tub in the master bathroom.

The pool is mostly used by inn guests, but when no one’s staying the couple will host pool parties.

Several entree-sized salads can also be found on the menu. The Pecan Dijon combines seasoned chicken breast with bacon, avocado, tomato and pecans along with the cheddar and jack cheese mix. It’s large enough for a take home container holding up well even after the honey Dijon dressing is added.

Sandwiches span a large range with the Yacht Club and Avalon Sunset two of my favorites. A nicely grilled chicken breast sits atop a grilled bun with bacon, avocado and melted cheeses on the Avalon Sunset. Spice it up a notch by substituting Cancun dressing in place of mayo. The Yacht Club picks up a little extra from the use of sourdough and the inclusion of ham turkey along with bacon and the addition of avocado to the standard lettuce and tomato mix. It’s these type of subtle extras that help set Citrus apart.

While most diners choose fries, a mix of sweet and regular potato chips is also available. House made and absolutely addicting, request a side of ranch or Buffalo sauce for a nice flavor addition.

Located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Pasquinelli Drive in the St. James Crossing shopping center, Citrus and its predecessor Moondance have anchored the corner spot for nearly 20 years. With both breakfast and lunch options served throughout the day, the menu versatility is a big plus and will please most. Parking’s a breeze, service is super friendly, catering is offered, carry-out is timely…and there’s also the tortilla soup!

So if it’s a business meeting, a long lost friend catch-up, a family breakfast, a soup pick-up, a weekend brunch or just a little mid-morning escape time; Citrus Diner will brighten your day adding enough zest to keep you coming back!

Though lead smelting has ended in Pesarean, other metalwork continues. Women sort through piles of junk to separate aluminum, iron, and other usable materials. Men melt the metal over open fires to make ingots, sending acrid smoke into the air. Craftsmen work over small metal forges in the back rooms of their houses, making tools, cookware, machine parts, and anything else that might sell.

What is it about noodles that makes them so popular? Fat, long, thin, flat, wide, rice, wheat or egg-based, saucy or swimming in savory broths — they are the ultimate comfort food.

You can slurp your way to noodle nirvana at El Cerrito’s Noodles Fresh, a restaurant and tea house that pays homage to Chinese noodles. Owners Wenyan and Tom Petersen have transformed a Comcast service center into a bright, attractive eatery that showcases regional noodles from Yunan to Xinjiang provinces, along with Chinese tea culture.

Enter from the back and you pass a beautiful, polished curved wood table, with four stools made from trees in China’s Anhui province. It’s a tea bar, where you can make reservations to partake in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. Behind the tea bar, cubbyholes hold individual Yixing purple clay and porcelain tea pots, and lidded Gaiwan tea cups for sale. Beyond the tea bar and large, spotless open kitchen, the space opens up to an airy dining room, with big picture windows overlooking San Pablo Avenue.

This is the couple’s first restaurant — and they are hands-on and engaging throughout the meal. Wenyan grew up in Southeast China. Her father, a porcelain artist and gourmet cook, brought regional dishes home from his travels throughout the country, and Wenyan, now a trained engineer, learned to cook them. She developed some of Noodles Fresh’s recipes, but 20-year Bay Area restaurant veteran and chef Peter Liang rules the kitchen.

We began by ordering tea. Tongue of Sparrow green ($4.95), with long, narrow leaves, and Rose Flower ($4.95) tea arrived in glass pots on a bamboo tray. The rose tea had small rose buds floating on top, and a delicate, buttery rosy aroma; the green tea was full of herbal notes.

The tea cups and blue and white porcelain dinnerware here all come from Wenyan’s hometown Jingdezhen, China’s porcelain capital, including the triangular bowl that holds Garlic Cucumber ($4.95), one of Wenyan’s delicious creations. Tom told us it was the first dish Wenyan made for him when they were dating. We could have eaten even more of Wenyan’s Spicy Cabbage ($3.95), lightly coated in a smoky hot-and-sour house-made chile and vinegar sauce. It was like kimchee, but unfermented.

Portions here are not just generous, they’re huge. The Sichuan Chili Fish noodle soup bowl ($10.95) was large enough to feed at least four people. There aren’t really 1,000 chiles and spices in the soup, despite what the menu says; it’s just a way to let diners know this dish is super spicy. We happily slurped our way through the intense, fiery broth with a mild white Vietnamese fish similar to cod and fat, round Jiangxi rice noodles. If you like lots of heat, you’ll love this soup’s sinus-clearing kick.

Noodles are clearly the star here, but Wenyan takes special pride in those Jiangxi rice noodles. She imports them from her home province of Jiangxi, where they are made with natural spring water, free of tap-water chemicals.

Our first taste of Beijing Black Bean Sauce Noodles ($8.95) transported us to noodle heaven. This ramen wheat-noodle dish was soulful, with tangy, earthy, fermented black bean sauce and crisp minced pork. Wenyan called this Chinese spaghetti and meat sauce. It’s a good analogy, but we’d venture to say her black bean sauce is more complex than any marinara. Jiangxi Stir-Fry ($10.95) offered tender flank steak and a baby bok choy and bell pepper jumble, coated in a spicy soy-pepper sauce. We mixed the Jiangxi Noodle Salad ($9.95) really well to coat everything in the bowl with the fantastic house chile sauce hiding under sliced chicken breast — the menu described grilled chicken, but it was lightly pan-fried — and rice noodles. We loved the warm, fresh ginger note, balanced by sweet red pepper crunch.

Noodles Fresh serves more than noodles, but you’ll find it tough to resist the allure of the main attraction. We certainly couldn’t. We’d happily slurp here any day.

Beer Today, Gone Tomorrow is the one-stop home for Asheville-area beer news. Check back throughout the week for updates and send your own to wncbeertoday@gmail.com.

AVL Beer Week events

Tuesday, May 31

From 1-3 p.m. upstairs bar at Barley’s Taproom Pizzeria, certified cicerone and local beer educator Cliff Mori of BREW-ed will lead participants through an exploration of hops, malt and yeast by tasting and discussing beers that highlight the characteristics of each ingredient. Tickets are $35 and available online.

From 5-9 p.m, Thirsty Monk Downtown celebrates the women of the local craft beer industry. On tap will be Unite Ale, a Belgian-style golden strong ale brewed by these industry figures in collaboration with the Pink Boots Society on International Women’s Day. A portion of every pint sold benefits Our Voice, a 501c3 serving victims and supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault in Asheville and Buncombe County.

From 6-7:30 p.m., Zebulon Artisan Ales brewer/owner Mike Karnowski leads an informal lecture at the Weaverville brewery on the evolution of the IPA. The talk includes five 8-ounce pours of historic IPAs brewed as close to historical records as possible. Seating for the first 30 attendees is available, after which it is standing room only. The cost is $20 and covers all beers. RSVP to gabe@zebulonbrewing.com.

From 6-10 p.m., Bhramari Brewhouse hosts a five-course beer dinner created by chefs Josh Dillard and Jake Whitman paired with house beers created and brewed by Gary Sernack. Tickets are $65 and available online.

Thursday, June 2

From 3-10 p.m., Green Man Brewery pours flights of two vintages of Holly King Barrel Aged Holiday Ale and two vintages of Demon Dweller Imperial Stout.

From 4-10 p.m., Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park hosts a patio party with New Belgium Brewing.Citradelic IPA, the Lips of Faith Hof Ten Dormaal golden ale collaboration, selections from the Hop Kitchen Series and more will be on tap.

Starting at 4 p.m., Burial Beer Co. hosts its third annual Skillet Six Ways event, featuring six adjunct versions of its Skillet Donut Stout with Vortex Doughnuts pairings. Flights of all six Skillets will be available.

From 5-8 p.m., Bruisin’ Ales hosts a blind tasting of 10 Asheville and Western North Carolina IPAs. Participants will rate the selections, and those who can guess which IPA is which receive bonus points with the chance to win prizes at the end of night. Tickets are $6.

From 6-9 p.m., Buxton Hall Barbecue hosts a five-course beer dinner created by chef Elliot Moss and his team using Oskar Blues Brewery products and Defiant Whisky wooden spirals in the cooking process. The event also includes a special-release beer from Oskar Blues created with whiskey-aged wooden spirals from Defiant and inspiration from Buxton Hall. Tickets are $50. Online RSVPs are closed but call 232-7216 to check availability.

Friday, June 3

Starting at noon and running all weekend, Bold Rock Hard Cider celebrates its fourth anniversary at its Mills River taproom with WNC musicians, food and cider pairings, tours, activities for children, raffles and educational demonstrations.

From 3-7 p.m., Wicked Weed Brewing features select farmhouse ales from Jester King Brewery and Blackberry Farm Brewery at its Funkatorium location.

From 4-5 p.m., Thirsty Monk hosts a special AVL Beer Week edition of its popular Monk Beer Academy series at its downtown bar. Certified cicerone and draft quality manager Jeremiah Tracy leads a guided tasting of local lagers. Reserve a spot in the free class online and purchase a tasting flight ($12-15) at the bar.

Starting at 5 p.m., Asheville Brewing Co. releases BerLemon Weisse, an American sour wheat made with fresh-squeezed lemons in the classic Berliner Weisse style, at its Coxe Avenue location.

From 6-10 p.m., Sunny Point Café hosts a collaborative four-course beer dinner with New BelgiumBrewing.Tickets are $50 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Reservations are available for seatings at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. and can be made by calling 252-0055.

From 6-9 p.m., The Hop Ice Cream Café presents eight ice cream flavors made with Asheville brews at its Haywood Road location. Dairy and vegan beer/ice cream options will be available by the scoop, pint or as a flight of four. Beer-flavored Hopsicles will also be for sale.

Saturday, June 4

From 10 a.m.-3 p.m., The Grey Eagle hosts a four course beer breakfast pairing featuring selections from local breweries.

Starting at 11:30 a.m., Sweeten Creek Brewing holds a kickoff party for its summer picnic series with food specials and free local music on the creekside lawn.

Starting at noon, Catawba Brewing Co. celebrates the release of its King Coconut Porter with a luau party at its South Slope tasting room.

From noon-4 p.m., Hi-Wire Brewing hosts a crawfish boil and the release of its first cans — Lager and Gose — at its Big Top taproom. $10 suggested donation for food.

ObjectStyle/$ID/[Normal Text Frame]0000LightBlue$ID/[None]0000LightBlue@text1:It’s a known fact that most people who like to decorate their own homes enjoy seASSET_IS_LOCKEDFALSEFORMEID61613559nexus.model.Asset:assignedTo369nexus.model.Asset:creator369nexus.model.Asset:currentVersionNumber4nexus.model.Asset:fileCreatedDateMay 26, 2016 11:23:50 AMnexus.model.Asset:lastContentChangeDateMay 27, 2016 1:26:59 AMnexus.model.Asset:lastModifiedDateMay 27, 2016 1:26:59 AMnexus.model.Asset:status3nexus.model.Asset:tagBylinenexus.model.Asset:titleSUN LIFE Tour of Kitchens 052916nexus.model.Asset:type1nexus.model.Asset:workflowId3nexus.model.Asset:workflowStage3nexus.model.AssetStory:abstractObjectStyle/$ID/[Normal Text Frame]0000LightBlue$ID/[None]0000LightBlue@text1:It’s a known fact that people who like to decorate their own homes enjoy seASSET_IS_LOCKEDFALSEFORMEID61613559nexus.model.Asset:assignedTo369nexus.model.Asset:creator369nexnexus.model.AssetStory:depth6nexus.model.IssueInfo:publication27nexus.model.IssueInfo:publicationDateMay 29, 2016 12:00:00 AMnexus.model.IssueInfo:publicationZone26nexus.model.Version:fileCreator1231962992nexus.model.Version:fileExtensionxtgnexus.model.Version:fileType1413830740nexus.model.Version:lastEditedBy232nexus.model.Version:mimeTypeapplication/vnd.mspan.story+xml;version=1.0nexus.model.Version:textFileMD5Hash9GScay8DlvRJjdIVpsmWAg==nexus.model.Version:versionNumber4eing what others have done to theirs, especially in the kitchen where new styles in tiles, countertops, cupboards and lighting are continually being introduced.

That’s the idea behind the Tour of Kitchens being held next weekend in Lewiston and Youngstown, when visitors will be able to step inside five recently renovated private kitchens, and where professional chefs will be offering samples of their best dishes.

This is the eighth annual event, and several new elements are being planned, according to Melissa Morinello, spokesperson for the event.

“The one thing I’m super excited about is we are featuring a local artists and a pop-up gallery,” Morinello said. “We will be featuring 12 local artists from Niagara County and Southern Ontario who will spotlight their work in a pop-up gallery.”

The five homes are all recently improved by the show’s presenting sponsor, Kinetic Kitchen and Bath of Niagara Falls, she said. “We have everything from a Victorian home built in 1890 to a grand setting on Mountain View Drive and a home built in 1920.

Beyond tastings and decor, there will also be tablescapes to see, crafted with all sorts of ideas for table settings, in each home. Tablescapes will be designed by Adornment, Bridge Interiors, Le Creuset, Jillian Antecki and Ann White, Dianne’s Floral, RTM Design Interiors, Room Buffalo, Wishes Executed, Landscape Designs by Cat, Kyle Lynn Tuttle, Theresa Lorenti Original Designs, and Furnishings Buffalo.

The tours are self-guided and the addresses of the participating homes will be provided when ticket holders pick up their booklets and tickets from the Tour of Kitchens tent, located at Center Street and First Street.

Included in the ticket price is a wine sampling and dessert tasting at The Barton Hill Hotel featuring sweets from the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute and DiCamillo Bakery.

A Jewelry, Home Décor Culinary Market will also be at the Barton Hill Hotel from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, where vendors will be offering unique jewelry pieces, kitchen tools and home accessories, as well as culinary items.

Also new this year is the Sunday brunch being offered at the Barton Hill Hotel, and ticket holders will receive a $5-off coupon for brunch. Also, members of the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Auxiliary will be at the tour selling their cookbook “I Want That Recipe” comprised of recipes from members and friends of the hospital. The book is $10 and proceeds go to benefit the hospital.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5. Tickets are $27 and are available at area Wegmans locations until 4 p.m. on Friday.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the Youngstown Garden Club will feature “Youngstown in Bloom” Flower Market and Perennial Sale at the Red Brick School House, 240 Lockport St. in Youngstown where visitors will find perennials from members’ gardens, culinary herbs and other garden items available for purchase.